Plow



w. N. SPRINGER.

PLOW.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-23. I912- RENEWED JULY 19, 1919.

- Patented Feb. 24, 1920.

UNITED STATES-PATENT cre WILLIAM N. SPRINGER, oEsoU'rH BEND, mnmnn nssrcivoa TO AVERY COMPANY, A I

I CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

PLOW.

Application filed December- 23, 1912, Serial No; 738328;. Renewed July 19, 1919. SerialNo. 3125107."

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, WIL IAM N. SrRmenR', I a citizenof'the United vStates, wre'sidingat f South Bend, in the county of StFJoseph'a'nd I State of Indiana, have invented certain new and I; useful Improvements II in II Plows, of which 1 the: following is specification; ref-5 erence being had therein to theaccompanY- ing drawing.

The principal object of the invention is to provide in'an engine-gang plow in combinestion with i the frame structure 2 an improved arrangement of supportingwheels. Other objects will be apparent from the following specification- Of the drawing which illustrates the em-- bodiment ofmy invention which' I now" prefer, I I I Figure 1 is a 'plan view-. Inthis -view=- some; of 'the' plo'w' parts are omitted-and {oth-i crs indieatedmore or lessdiagrammatically Fig-,2 is a side-elevation of thegplow asshown in Fig. 1.

Figa3- is an enlarged detail view takens partly in section along the lii1e3-3 "of" Fig-1.

Re'ferringto the drawings,-- it-will be -ob served that the-"main frame of the 1owcomprises three principal elements;1,f2 and 3. These frame elements are fGrmed of structural steel I part-s preferably "angle "harsh The rear bar 1 is arranged diag mnyaten angle 0f the lineof: draft; and I as shown fin the drawing, the verti'cal flange extendsup ward from the horizontal fiange'at the 'rear sidethereofi The fr-ameelementQ is at their front endand is arranged transversely at right'anglesto the line of dr'aftl Th frame element 2 is connected" at one end withjthe, element 1 and ispreferably arranged with the vertical flange extending upward from the horizontal fiange ofrom-the fronti sidefi thereof. The third frame element 3 is an angle bar arranged-with: its Jvertical flange extending 1 downward from" thejhorizontal fiange at. the inner side thereof. This element 3 is connectedat vits rear end t other rear part of the elementl andiextends zfon" ward from-thejpoint of connection :along t lines parallel to the line of: drafha Near centerjthe element 3 is bent and from the point of: bending extends diagonally, paralw lel-to theelement 1,1 to a pointi'of connection a with the element) near the center thereof.

It will-be-noted that the element 3 isconnecited -ito the bottoms of the elements 1 an 2, I

In addition to the three mentioned frame Patented Feb. 24', 1920. I

elements whichhave been described, I also provide -suppleinental bars or braces. In

the construction shownthere are three/such braces, these being indicated by 4, 5 and 6.

The brace l is positionedat right angles to forward end it is connected to the frame element 2 near the outer end thereof. I11

termediateits ends it is connected with the frame element 3. The braces 5 and 6 'ex- I tend in} generally transverse directions and are-connected at their ends to the frame ele ments 1 and 3.

The plow frame is supported on three ground wheels-7, S-and 9. The wheel-'l-is positioned in the angle between the elements 1 and-3 andis mounted upon a transverse shaft'por axle*10.* Bearings 11 and 12 are provided-for thisshaft '10, these bearings I being; secured-' respectively to the I frame membersl and 3. Y The wheel 8 is positioned near theyfrontendof the frame element-1 but: at the rearside -thereof- It ismounted 1 on theshaft or axle 13 for which there are provided bearingsl l and 15 The bearing i.

way that it can caster or swing about a ver- I tical axis. As tothe form of mountingfor this wheel9 there can bevariation, but the constructionwhich I have shown has fca-' tures'of advantage. which'is rigidly secured by means of bolts to the-end of the frame member 2. This pivot block 18 has verticalpins or trunnions 19 and20,-the former being located at the topof the block and the latter being located at-"the bottom of the block and extending through a suitable aperture in the horizontal' flange ofthe frame element, 2. 21 is a block havin a central bearinrr a erture for i receiving the pin 19. A suitable nut'and 18. is a pivot bloclr' washer on the pin holds the block in place.

bearing block is also held in place by a suitable nut and washer. 23, 23 are straps or bars bolted to the upper bearing block 21, and 24, 24 are similar straps or bars secured to the lower bearing block 22. These bars 23, 23, and 24, 24 extend backward and downward and at their lower ends are provided with bearing apertures for the axle 25 upon which the wheel 9 is mounted. It will be observed that the construction which I have described provides a very rigid connection for the wheel 9, and, at the same time, permits it to swing freely about a vertical 7 axis in advance of the horizontal axis of rotation.

As tothe plowing devices which are connected with the main frame, there can be wide variation and my invention is not limited to any one form of plow body or connecting mechanism. In the drawings, however, for purposes of. illustration I have shown more or less diagrammatically plow bodies 26, 26 secured to beams 27, 27' which are provided whereby the several plow bodies and beams'can be lifted by means of power transmitted from one of the ground wheels, preferably 7. Such a power lifting mechanism is indicated more or less diagrammatically in the drawings, but it will be such that it can :be modified or omitted entirely without departing fromthe spirit ;of my invention. As illustrated, the power,

lifting mechanism comprises a diagonal shaft 29 mounted on the frame element 1. On this shaft are cams 30 which engage rollers 31 on pivoted levers 32. These levers are connected by means of suitably guided chains 33 with levers 34 on the plow beams. These levers 34 are connected with ground engaging wheels 35 in such a way that when the levers are swung forward by means of v the chains, the wheels are forced downward with respect to the beams, the result being mitted to rotate the shaft 29, and by means of the cams and other devices which have been described, the plows are lifted and held in lifted pisition. A subsequent engagement of the clutch will cause the further rotation of-the shaft 29 and cams 30 and permit the plows to be lowered. Preferably 'fthe'cams 30 are so arranged on the shaft that the plows will be lifted and lowered successively, be inning at the forwardend. Draft is app ied to the plow preferably by means of chains 40, 40, which are connected at their rear ends to the frame element 2 at 41, 41. 42 indicates diagrammatically a traction engine or other device for pulling the plow. J

It will be observed that the caster wheel 9 is located sothat, during the normal'operation of the plow, it is entirely within the main outlines of the frame. However,-'because of its position at the extreme outer end of the cantaliver part of frame element 2, it is possible for this caster wheel to" swing outward andforward to any desired. position without. coming into contact with any other parts of the plow. This construction not only enables the plow to respond very quickly and easily to the force of the draft during plowing, but also enables it to be turned very sharply while being trans- 95 ported from one point ofuse to an0ther.- The two wheels 7 and 8 are fixed against bodily movement with respect to the frame and therefore by their engagement with the ground hold the frame against movement bodily along transverse lines. The free mounting of the wheel 9, however, permits the frame as 'a whole to'be. easily swung about one or the other of the wheels 7 and 8 as a pivot. g

I am aware that it has been heretofore proposed to provide an oscillatory wheel in combination with one or more fixedwheels in plows of the class in which one or both of the fixed wheels is adapted to travel in a' furrow and below the normal surface of the round. 'Plows of this class, however, areto e distinguished from engine gang plows of the class to which my invention relates." a In an engine gang plow of the type herein described all of the wheels travelalong the normal smooth surface of the. ground and are 'not dependent upon the furrows for guidance.

'What I claim is 1 In an engine gang plow, the combina tion with the plowing devices, of a main framehaving a rear main diagonal element; to which the plowing devices areconnected, a second diagonal element parallel to the first and connected thereto and a front trans verse element connected "near "its center to Y the forward end of the second diagonal element and at one end to the forward end of the first diagonal element, the other end pro jecting laterally as a cantaliver member and supporting Wheels for the frame, one of the Wheels being connected for oscillation about a vertical axis at the end of the said cantaliver member and directly in front of the said diagonal elements and the said plowing devices.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature I Witnesses:

EDWIN NIcAR, V S. A. CRESSEY. 

